Zenith
by Enula
Summary: During another battle with Zaha Torte, Tira and Marron once again lose their current bodies, leaving their souls to go to another world. Recognizing each other, they stick together to try and get their memories back. TiraMarron


**Zenith**

**I.**

'I was running…running for my life. There was someone chasing me; taunting me to come back and fight. I wanted to, but fear blinded all my courageous motives, and I could only think of escaping. I heard people…my friends, perhaps? They wanted me to win, they cheered me on, but I still couldn't help but notice the desperation in their voices.

'I turned around to fight back. It wasn't in my nature to run away, so why was I doing it? Anger boiled deep within me. My hands gripped something tight and firm…my weapon. My opponent was rushing toward me at an unnatural speed. I couldn't see who it was; all that was there was a large shadow looming over me.

'Getting ready to strike, I somehow lost my footing. Thinking strongly on it, I realized that someone pushed me backward. My enemy? No…it couldn't have been. The figure wasn't close enough to hit me. It had to have been someone else.

'My eyes that viewed everything in red widened when I saw a tall, lean human standing in front of me, guarding me from the oncoming danger. I screamed. I knew the person…he was my friend. Why did he try to protect me? I felt confident that I could have hit the enemy and possibly…

'Before I could become enraged at my friend's mistrust, I stared in horror as two translucent hands twisted around in my friend's insides. It didn't take long for the limbs to destroy him from the inside out, disrupting the balance of his body.

'I could do nothing as millions of blood drops splattered all over my bare skin. My outfit hardly served as any protection. Then there was a loud thump. I watched with unnatural calmness as one of my best friends dropped lifelessly to the ground before a large dagger shaped boulder produced from the earth to enter and exit right through his center.

'My other friends screamed. They were telling me to run away. But I felt the ghost hands squeeze my soul before I could even comprehend the concept of escape.

'A single tear ran down my cheek as I saw, for the last time, three of the people that meant more to me than anything: A simple friend, my sister, and the love of my life. "Be strong without me." I whispered, not wanting to see them cry. Before I closed my eyes for the last time, I saw them all mouth my name…'

"Tira…"

* * *

The young woman awoke with a start, her scarlet eyes snapping open behind large, round glasses. Her heart pounded wildly, her ears hardly caught the chirps of the birds or the low talking of the people walking by. Scanning the area quickly, the girl realized she was in the park, sitting on a bench underneath a cherry blossom tree. In her lap laid an open book, resting on page ninety-six.

She shivered slightly. Though it was in the middle of spring, the weather still got chilly toward the evening. The world was still used to turning in early for the night, but she was having a hard time believing it was seven-thirty already. She could have sworn she just sat down to continue reading her newest book at four o'clock.

"Guess I'll start heading home…" she said to herself with a smile, though she felt anything but at ease. As she gathered up her long red jacket, only resting it over her shoulders, she had to wonder where that dream came from. Holding her book tightly to her chest, she tried to dismiss it as her wild imagination from reading too much.

She walked by many people, her rosy-pink hair bouncing with liveliness as she did so. Many people were polite enough to nod their head in greeting or wave hello. She was always more than happy to voice her salutation at everyone, but it was never to anyone she knew personally._'_

_Why _don't_ I know anyone?'_ She had to wonder, suddenly not so eager to return to her empty house. The girl with the large slightly tinted glasses lowered her eyes to the sidewalk, loneliness sinking in.

don't She had to wonder, suddenly not so eager to return to her empty house. The girl with the large slightly tinted glasses lowered her eyes to the sidewalk, loneliness sinking in. 

Hearing another person walking toward her, she raised her eyes to the others midsection. Dark blue hair caught her attention. From what she could tell, the other was a male, but…it wasn't too often she saw a man with such long hair.

Her eyes didn't rise to meet his until they were almost past each other, but something shocked her frozen in the two seconds she gazed into those golden eyes. She paused, and behind her, she heard the man pause as well. They were facing away from each other, the cool wind blowing their hair in a dramatic effect.

_'Do I…know this man? He seems so familiar, but…he definitely doesn't have the Average Joe face. Someone like that only comes around once. Does this mean…'_ As if on cue, she spun around to face the lean mean with the beautiful golden eyes and long, straight blue hair, just as he turned to face her.

Both their eyes held recognition and confusion.

She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was, "Anou…"

Her voice sounded thin and more girlish than usual, which brought a light blush to her cheeks. Her mind told her to look away, for as the golden rule held, it was rude to stare. However, he held her interest too strongly, though…she seemed to be doing the same to him.

The man suddenly smiled. It was small, only a slight pull of the lips, but it was genuine nonetheless, "Ah, excuse me, Miss…" his voice was as smooth as a river, "You look so familiar and yet I don't believe we've ever met."

"Mm…" Looking down finally, she grabbed her glasses in between her fingers, but kept them on her face. Thanks to the sunlight, her glasses tinted over to make it impossible to see her rubies.

When she said no more, the man accepted this and turned to continue on his way, "Well, have a good night."

Raising her head in shock, she reached out a hand, but didn't say anything to stop him from leaving. She wanted to say so much to him, but everything seemed so unspeakable. She felt something with him; something different, yet very natural.

Sighing dejectedly, she began walking toward her home once again.

* * *

It was going on midnight, but the young girl was unable to fall asleep. She lived deep within a pleasant village, which left a calm quietness surrounding the area. With her long dark pink nightgown hugging her body, she sat gently on the window seat, folding her knees up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she embraced herself. She smiled as she looked up at the full moon. 

"Late night…" she said, speaking to the moon as though it were a close friend. Ever since she could remember, she always liked to tell the moon her secrets. She thought about keeping a diary, but thought the moon was more deserving of her secrets than a book.

"I went to the park today," she started, laying her head back, "I had a strange dream. I was being attacked, and someone tried to save me. It was all in vain, however, for I ended up dying at the hands of evil as well. There were others there…I'm not sure I know them, but in my dream I did.

"On my way home, I ran into a man," she became pensive, "I didn't know him, but he looked familiar. By the way he stared at me, I could tell he thought the same thing." Pausing, her mind reeled back to the short moment she stood before the stranger, "And…something else. As soon as our eyes met, the world seemed to…dull. Not that he made the world look like a horrible place. I think what I mean by that is…it felt like a dream. Some say you don't always dream in color, but not always black and white either. It was in between."

Closing her eyes momentarily, she wondered aloud, "Is this how it feels when one runs into their soul mate? Somehow knowing each other, and viewing the world differently?" She frowned, "Or am I just being foolish?"

A dark cloud rolled past the moon, but only for a second. From the way she saw it, the moon seemed to be winking at her, telling her something magnificent was going to occur.

This brought a smile to her lips again, "Guess I'll have to wait and see. If I run into him again…" Although she was only talking to the moon, her face still burned with an embarrassment she thought only she possessed, "who knows?"

The question was left unanswered, the girl now only exchanging glances at the dark moon.

Yawning quietly, she stood and shuffled her way over to her bed, jumping underneath the covers. She took her glasses off, her secretively beautiful eyes set free. Giving the moon one last look, she spoke only in her mind, "Goodnight. Love…Tira."

* * *

"Hurry up, will you! You're going so slow, we're running out of dishes and cups!" 

"Gomen nasai!" Tira called back, scrubbing each thing in her reach quickly, but thoroughly. The coffee shop where she worked was very small, but always busy. It was a mystery to her why the manager or owner didn't buy more utensils for the place so one wouldn't have to rush to clean everything all the time.

She and the other two girls that worked there took turns being the waitress, washing dishes, and running the register. Tira, personally, liked washing. It gave her time to daydream, one of her favorite pastimes. The other two jobs always forced her to stay alert and remember each of the orders and who ordered what.

Usually, her hands took over and finished all the dishes in time for them to be used over again. Why was today a little different?

Tira couldn't get her mind off of a certain someone she didn't know. _'If he really is my soul mate,' _she thought, _'he'll come in here and we'll see each other again.' _Wanting to prove this, every time she heard that loud jingle of the bell above the door, she would run out into the dining area to see if it was he who walked in. And every time, she got her hopes up for nothing. She actually ended up making herself dizzy from running back and forth so often.

"What's your problem today, Tira? Washing dishes is usually what you're best at!" Though it was a simple comment from one of the girls, it still made her blush. _'What a great talent I have…'_

Even though she worked with the other girls almost everyday, she wasn't too friendly with them. Tira usually kept to herself while the two others were very talkative and boisterous. They tried to open her up before, but to no avail.

Needless to say, nothing spectacular happened during her workday. Tira managed to give herself a headache and anxiously awaited quitting time. People slowly stopped coming into the coffee shop around ten-thirty, a half an hour before it closed.

"Not too much is going on now," the blonde commented as she stood behind the counter filing her nails.

The brunette nodded, "It's boring. Do you wanna go out tonight?"

"Sounds good. Think we can get Tira to close for us?"

"Of course, she won't mind. She has nothing better to do anyway."

The blonde laughed, "True, true."

Tira wondered if they purposely talked loud enough for her to hear. After all, the wall separating the kitchen from the dining area was thin, not to mention the wide open door. Looking down at her wrinkled and pruned hands caused by washing dishes all day, she narrowed her eyes, "Am I really that much of a pushover?"

"Tira!" One of the girls called, and Tira waited for the inevitable, "We're leaving, so you're in charge. Don't worry, no one else'll come in."

Clenching her fists, Tira bit her bottom lip. The nerve! She didn't even ask if Tira cared! Did the girl think it was safe to assume such things?

"Wait a minute!" Tira heard herself yell before she could stop herself. She ran into the dining area, watching the two girls pause abruptly from taking their aprons off. A pair of green and a pair of brown eyes blinked at the red eyed girl, waiting for her to continue. Blushing under close observation, Tira wringed her hands together nervously, "Anou…" She tried to think of something smart to say. Or even just something to make them stay their full shift. But something told her they would only laugh in her face. Sighing lowly, she waved a hand, "Have fun."

The two girls looked at each other, shrugged, then left without saying another word. Tira was left working the rest of her shift alone.

Eleven o'clock came rather quickly, however. As she hung up her apron and grabbed her set of keys to lock up, she turned off the lights and headed toward the door. She securely shut it before sticking the key into the lock.

"Oh, you're closed? What a shame," came a voice from behind her. Tira straightened immediately. She knew that voice…it was the one she'd been waiting to hear again ever since the night before. Turning around quickly, she gazed at the man she'd been waiting all day for.

The smile that had been on his lips widened just a bit, "I thought you looked familiar. Do you remember me? I'm the one…"

"I saw in the park yesterday," she nodded, accidentally dropping her keys to the sidewalk. The noise seemed louder than it should have, causing her to blush at her own clumsiness. She kneeled down to grab them, only to find that they were already being handed over to her. They both stood up. Tira, against her will, took this moment to study the man before her.

His eyes were the most brilliant gold she'd ever seen. Her hand lingered a mere inch over his own, waiting to grab the keys he was giving back to her. She was slightly worried about making physical contact, though she wasn't sure why. Warm and friendly eyes also held patience, his smile also showing off his mellow personality.

Before she realized it, she was returning his smile and offering: "Even though I just closed, I could reopen and get you something."

"It's not too much trouble?"

"Not at all!" She quickly grabbed the keys from his hand and turned back to the door. She unlocked it quickly, stepping inside and flipping the light switch. The shop lit up once again, "It's not like I have anything else to do," she added dryly.

"Was that sarcasm I heard?" he asked, going over to the table nearest to the front desk so she wouldn't have to walk too far.

Tira mentally kicked herself, _'Way to go! You've been waiting for this guy all day, and now you're gonna scare him off!'_

"Ah, no, it wasn't supposed to sound sarcastic." She said quickly, going behind the counter and putting on a nervous smile, "I was just stating the sad truth is all. So what would you like?"

"Just a cup of coffee will be fine," he said, sitting down in a chair swiftly as he watched her get everything ready. He picked up a small table menu that was lying in front of him, carelessly flipping through it, "So, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you have anything else to do on this beautiful night?"

She clicked on the coffeemaker, "I don't mind you asking, it's just…well, there's not too much to do around here."

"Mm, true," he agreed, intertwining his fingers and resting his elbows on the table. He placed his chin softly over his fingers, "I recently opened up a bookstore a few streets down, but not too many--."

"A bookstore, really?" Tira cut in, a large smile finally finding its way to her lips, "I don't see too many here, and the one's that are open…I've read all the books they have." She stopped suddenly, watching an amused glint pass through the man's eyes. She blushed immediately and covered her face, "Gomen ne. I guess you could say I'm a bookworm…"

"I don't mind at all," he responded, absently pushing a strand of hair behind his ear, "You can call me a bookworm as well."

Tira did a double take. Was it just her, or was this guy too good to be true? It wasn't too often she ran into a guy that looked like him that also loved books. Her hands shook with happiness (and built in nervousness) as she grabbed the largest cup the shop had and a glass coaster.

"At the moment, I'm reading a series called _Tales of the Otori. _It's about--."

"I've read it before. A very good in depth description of feudal Japan, and yet set in a perfect imaginary country." He slid his elbows off the table when she brought the cup to him and set it down. He looked up when she did nothing else, "Are you going to join me?"

"Me?" she squeaked, pointing to herself with her finger directly in front of her eyes. He nodded, waiting for an answer. She looked around as though something in the shop would throw the right answer to her. Surprisingly, it helped. Tira spotted the two aprons the girls left behind, reminding her of how lonely she was. _'Why pass up this opportunity?' _Smiling, she went to pour her own cup of coffee before sitting down shyly across from him.

"Good," he resounded to her final decision, taking a slow sip from his hot beverage, "I don't believe I know your name."

Looking down into her cup, she could just barely see her reflection. The image of her large glasses filled most of the cup, though she was unable to see how timid her eyes were, "My name's Tira Misu."

"What a nice name," he said with such honesty it made her blush all over again, "I can't help but think I've heard it somewhere before…perhaps in a dream."

That did it. Her blush no longer brightened just her cheeks, but her whole face and neck as well. Her legs were shaking just as much as her arms, though she still tried to steady the coffee cup in front of her so he wouldn't notice.

If he did, he didn't show any signs of it, "My name's Marron Glace. It's a pleasure to meet you…Tira."

_'Marron, Marron…Marron…'_ The name kept repeating in her mind. If he thought her name sounded familiar, that was a sore understatement compared to what she thought. It wasn't only familiar, it was something a little more…personal. She knew that name, she had to have said it everyday of her life. Did she…or was she just imagining things?

Staring at each other, Marron was the first to speak solemnly, "Tira…do you have a weird feeling when you look at me?"

"Hm?" she blinked, "Weird?"

He nodded, "Yes, like…you're remembering a certain thing from a passed life."

Passed life? Was that really possible? Of course, Tira thought of it from time to time, but she couldn't say the thought lingered strongly in her mind.

"I…suppose," she answered slowly, not sure how much she wanted to expose about how he made her feel. That would only lead to embarrassment on her part, "Sometimes, when I'm reading a good book, I like to pretend I lived like the characters hundreds of years ago."

He watched her for a long moment, his golden eyes dilating like a cats. He wanted to press on the matter of how they knew each other, but saw she didn't seem to want to discuss it at the present moment. He smiled. This Tira was quite shy and she didn't look like she talked to many people.

"I do that sometimes, too."

Her smile returned. Right away, he planned on getting to know her as much as possible. It was safe to assume she was planning the exact same thing.

* * *

My first Sorcerer Hunters fic! And it's a Tira/Marron one at that! My favorite couple (from the show). Ya know…I'm not sure how I came across this anime. The other day, I happened to be looking through my large anime collection and found the whole series of SH. I remembered watching the first five episodes a long time ago…then I must have gotten another series and began watching that. As a mater of fact, I ran into a lot of anime series I didn't know I had. Go figure. 

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, 'cause it's gonna get better as the story progresses (I hope). So (please) write me a review and tell me what you think.


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